Thiruvananthapuram: The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday pasted a summons outside the residence of Kerala Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan, instructing him to appear for questioning on October 23 regarding the CMRL-linked money laundering investigation.
The central agency issued the summons under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act after a case was registered following a recent FIR filed by the state police. An enforcement official from Kochi visited the former chief minister's residence near Bakery Junction and affixed a copy of the summons near the entrance.
Authorities stated the step was taken to ensure the former chief minister received the notice and complied with the directive to appear for questioning, noting that he was not at home at the time of the visit. Senior Communist Party of India leader V Sivankutty subsequently visited the residence and criticized the agency's method, stating that Vijayan was away attending a party conference in Kannur and was not evading authorities.
Sivankutty argued that the former chief minister's travel schedule was known and that the notice could have been delivered directly. He claimed that after an initial official left when Vijayan was unavailable, staff members declined a later request to witness the pasting of the notice, prompting officials to return with police personnel to attach the document.
Calling the action unjust and anti-democratic, Sivankutty noted that the underlying legal matter is currently pending before the Supreme Court and suggested that further steps should await the court's final ruling. He added that any decision regarding an appearance for questioning rests with Vijayan himself.
The Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau registered FIRs against Vijayan, his daughter Veena T, and his son-in-law and former minister P A Mohamed Riyas in connection with the alleged Cochin Mineral and Rutile Limited bribery matter. The action followed an October 9 directive from the Kerala High Court instructing the bureau to register a case based on material and a report submitted by the federal agency.
The investigation centers on allegations that CMRL made payments amounting to Rs 2.78 crore to Veena's defunct enterprise, Exalogic Solutions, under the pretext of IT consultancy services. Federal investigators previously reported recovering handwritten logs detailing fund transfers to Dubai during searches connected to the case. Meanwhile, Vijayan moved the Supreme Court on Friday to challenge the high court's order directing the registration of the FIR.